A Very Metal Christmas Jukebox!
Ho ho ho and welcome to the third edition of the Renegade Jukebox here on RPC! Our two metalheads, Mike and Nick, take a look at their favorite Christmas tunes from the rougher side of the North Pole as they list their favorite Christmas metal albums of all time! Get your air guitars ready and smash that play button!
Please note that all the tracks and albums listed here are available on Spotify and Apple Music!
Up first is probably the most popular of all Christmas metal songs, “Christmas Eve in Sarajevo,” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! In 1995, the group formed from the remnants of a symphonic band called Sabotage, and were inspired by the traditional Christmas tune “Carol of the Bells,” so they created their own version and it took the airwaves by storm. Since then, you may be lucky enough to hear the Orchestra’s hit song in between the hundreds of renditions of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” while you shop for gifts. Ain’t it grand?
Also, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is doing a livestream on Dec. 18, so check out this link if you’re interested!
Nick then brings the noise with Judas Priest’s Rob Halford as he takes a look back at the metal god’s 2009 album, Halford III: Winter Songs, comprised of both original songs and some traditional holiday tunes. Nick’s favorite track, “Get Into The Spirit,” is a rip-roaring, guitar-shredding Christmas rock anthem that’ll have you banging your head with a smile and a mug of eggnog in hand! A truly amazing gift from Halford, and that solo at the bridge is exquisite!
Mike’s next choice is King Diamond’s 1986 classic, “No Presents For Christmas,” off his The Dark Sides EP. Yet another awesome fast-paced banger with an epic bridge and extended guitar solo. Coincidentally, it was also King Diamond’s first single as a solo act, which is awesome! An excellent choice by our Captain!
Next up is Nick’s favorite Christmas metal compilation album of all time, 2010’s We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! Talk about an absolutely over the top, perfectly fitting homage to the holidays in a completely unique style! Personally, I have to agree with Nick on this one. It’s inspired by the ‘80s glam metal scene, but it’s got some of the best metal versions of Christmas songs I’ve ever heard!
Both Nick and Mike agree that the next band on the list must be Finland’s Nightwish and their cover of “Walking In the Air,” which is symphonic metal at its finest. I really like their style, instrumentation, and of course, the amazing vocals! The song is based on a piece written for an adaptation of a children’s book called The Snowman, which has become a holiday favorite in Britain and Finland, which is pretty cool. No pun intended.
It’s the Captain’s turn to deliver the power metal as he mentions a Swedish band called Majestica, who just released their own Christmas album, A Christmas Carol, which starts off with a surprising symphonic version of the title song. A very intriguing start to an album that immediately becomes a showcase for shredding guitars, soaring vocals, and pounding drums! Not to mention that it’s a concept album with original lyrics and compositions, heavily influenced by Charles Dickens’ novel. Excellent stuff!
Following that, Mike and Nick discuss the classic Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, including Marilyn Manson’s cover of “This Is Halloween,” along with Korn’s rendition of “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” and Rise Against’s version of “Making Christmas.” All three of these covers are fantastic and truly capture the essence of Danny Elfman’s seminal work, but our Captain and resident metalhead are huge fans of Korn’s “Sandy Claws,” which Nick says could just be placed into the film itself and no one could tell the difference. Huge compliment, that.
Moving on, Nick brings up one of his favorite Christmas albums, August Burns Red’s 2012 hit, Sleddin’ Hill. The album contains instrumental versions of mostly traditional winter wonderland classics, like “Frosty the Snowman,” “Sleigh Bells,” and more, but with tons of double-kick and seriously intense guitar solos that give you finger calluses just by listening to them! Okay, maybe that was a little gross, but y’know what I mean. INTENSITY! And a hot take from Mike: Sleddin’ Hill might be August Burns Red’s greatest record, which is high praise from the Captain!
Switching gears a bit and moving away from the traditionally Christian influence, Amon Amarth is up next, and they’re bringing the Viking spirit with them! Although it isn’t available on Spotify, “Viking Christmas” is definitely worth seeking out on Youtube, as it’s a stunning original holiday song with growling vocals, incredible drums, and powerful guitars. If you need a little Odin in your figgy pudding, check out this awesomeness above!
Throwing it back to the ‘90s, Nick decides to grace us with the presence of Type O Negative and their 1996 album, October Rust, which contains the “gloomiest Christmas song you will ever hear,” in his own words: “Red Water (Christmas Mourning).” Definitely not a song that should be played during the office Christmas party, lemme tell ya. I like what I’ve heard from this band, and for a non-traditional Christmas tune, it’s certainly interesting, but… yeah, maybe drink some spiked eggnog first. Take the edge off, y’know?
Luckily, there’s Twisted Sister and their iconic holiday record from 2006, A Twisted Christmas, to bring our spirits back up. Traditional winter tuneage with some added guitar shreddage and some awe-inspiring drummage! This is good fun, and definitely deserves more airplay than it’s ever gotten. Seriously, folks, when are we gnna start hearing “Heavy Metal Christmas (12 Days of Christmas)” in our Walmarts instead of being forced to listen to Mariah Carey for the hundred-millionth time? Is a little variety in our lives too much to ask of our corporate overlords??
Ah, how could we forget the maestro of metal himself, the late, great Christopher Lee, and his Christmas classic, “Jingle Hell”? Thanks to Mike for bringing this one to the conversation, as it’s pretty frakkin’ fantastic! Lee was a legend, not just in his acting and singing career, but also in his life! What a wonderfully talented man, and what a great title for a song!
Onward, now, to Corey Taylor’s 2010 single, “X-M@$,” which is truly a… uniquely original song by the metal vocalist. “If I ain’t drunk, then it ain’t Christmas,” sings Taylor, pretty much channeling my soul on my bitter days. It may be the most f-bomb-laden Christmas song I’ve ever heard, too. Which, not going to lie, is pretty incredible. I can dig it. Play it for your grandparents! Just kidding! Please don’t.
Next up is a song from Spinal Tap’s album, Break Like the Wind, which saw them throw their hat in the musical holiday snow with “Christmas With the Devil.” Mike calls it a perfect holiday offering from a band like Spinal Tap, and I must say I completely agree. It’s playful and spoofy, yet pretty cool to listen to, as well. Definitely worth adding to the holiday playlist.
Finally, Nick brings us some honorable mentions, like AC/DC’s “Mistress For Christmas” and Steel Panther’s “Sexy Santa,” both of which sound incredible! Also mentioned is Venom’s “Black Xmas,” Joe Satriani’s Heavy Metal Christmas instrumental album, and Psychostick’s 2007 EP, The Flesh-Eating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride, which is the best EP title of all time, and so much more!
Well, I gotta say, Mike and Nick have delivered with this awesome Christmas Jukebox episode! They’ve certainly expanded my musical horizons, and I hope they’ve done so for you all, as well! If you’re sick and tired of the same old recycled Christmas playlists, add some of these awesome metal tunes to your Spotify or Apple playlists! And let us know if we missed anything in the comments below! Thanks for listening, and peace!
Nick, Mike, and Keona discuss the allegations of abuse which have been brought against rocker Marilyn Manson by actress Evan Rachel Wood and many others, and whether it’s possible to separate art from the artist. We also touch upon the Joss Whedon controversy, and the many accusations he’s faced in the past and in the wake of filming the theatrical cut of Justice League. This is a different episode for us, and it includes details of sexual abuse and domestic violence. We hope the episode informs you and encourages you to research the topics for yourselves. Thank you for listening.